Garrett not ready to give up play-calling

Updated 10:28 pm, Thursday, January 19, 2012

Photo: LM Otero, AP

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Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, center, stands for a photo with new assistant football coaches Bill Callahan, left, and Jerome Henderson after a media availability at the team's headquarters in Irving, Texas, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. Callahan will serve as offensive coordinator/offensive line coach and Henderson will be the secondary coach. less

Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, center, stands for a photo with new assistant football coaches Bill Callahan, left, and Jerome Henderson after a media availability at the team's headquarters in Irving, ... more

Photo: LM Otero, AP

Garrett not ready to give up play-calling

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Although he has relinquished the title of offensive coordinator, Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett made it clear Thursday he will continue to call plays in 2012.

Garrett, however, didn't rule out handing the chore to an assistant in the future.

“Oh, absolutely,” Garrett said. “I think you just get to a point where you just say, ‘Hey, I'm going to turn it over to somebody else.' You've seen that around the league at different times, and that's just part of the process we'll go through.”

Speaking at a news conference in Irving to introduce two new assistants, Garrett cited the play this season of quarterback Tony Romo as reason to keep the status quo.

“Our quarterback played pretty well last year,” Garrett said of Romo, who finished fourth in the NFL in passer rating at 102.5. “It was probably the best year of his career. There is a comfort level we want to make sure we maintain in that area.”

Fox analyst Jimmy Johnson, who led the Cowboys to two Super Bowls in the first half of the 1990s, said in November he thought Garrett would benefit from relinquishing his play-calling duties. In his first full season as an NFL head coach, Garrett also came under fire from fans and media after his botched clock management contributed to crucial two late-season losses.

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But Garrett said he never once considered giving up play-calling duties during the season. Dallas finished 8-8 after losing four of its final five games, including a 31-14 loss to the New York Giants in the finale with the NFC East title and a trip to the playoffs at stake.

“I think it's important to be consistent through the good times and some of the times where you struggle a little bit,” Garrett said. “We feel like the way we want to progress going forward is by keeping the structure in place the way it's been.”

After offensive line coach Hudson Houck retired at the end of the season, the Cowboys hired New York Jets assistant Bill Callahan to serve as offensive line coach/offensive coordinator. Garrett had carried the offensive coordinator title since joining Dallas in 2007.

A former head coach with the Oakland Raiders and Nebraska, Callahan said he will help formulate game plans and the structure of the offense.

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“(Garrett) will be the play-caller,” Callahan said. “And my job is to serve the head coach and help the organization the best I can. In the end, it's all about working together, helping the team, helping the offensive staff get to where we want to be. When everyone is pulling the rope together, that's when you have success.”